Avocado imports from Mexico plentiful for Super Bowl

As U.S. avocado importers entered Super Bowl week, they were importing record levels of the fruit.

The week ending Jan. 13 saw a record 71.9 million pounds of Mexican avocados enter the U.S. and January imports are projected to reach 217 million pounds, a 16% increase from January 2018, according to a news release from Avocados from Mexico.

The Super Bowl is Feb. 3, and is typically the biggest day for avocado consumption in the U.S., according to the promotion group.

“This season is one of the most active periods for the Mexican avocado industry,” Alvaro Luque, president of Avocados From Mexico, said in the release. “It’s a priority for our farmers, packers and distributors to ensure Americans have the avocados they want for the Big Game. Once again, we are meeting this goal and making sure grocery stores are well stocked ahead of game time in Atlanta.”

In mid-January, APEAM, the group of Mexican growers and packers who export and fund Avocados From Mexico, were sending 1,300 trucks a week to the U.S., which is one every 6 minutes. During the second week of January, a record 32,609 tons were exported to the U.S., according to the Integrated Avocado Harvest System.

For the fifth straight Super Bowl, Avocados From Mexico will have a 30-second TV commercial, building on the messages of past ads that highlight the versatility and health benefits of avocados, with the message “Always worth it.”

Imports of Mexican avocados are expected to reach a record-breaking 2 billion pounds this fiscal year, according to the release, a 7% increase from the previous season.